Apparatus for threading radio coil cores



July 12, 1932. Y L F. BRus-TL 1,866,838

APPARATUS FORTHREADING RADIO COIL CORES July 1'2, 1932.

F. BRUSTLE V APPARATUS FOR THREADING ADIO COILv CORES Filed June 26.l1930 3v Sheets-Sheet 2 W/T/VESS July l2, 1932. F. BRUsTLE 1,866,838-

APPARATUS FOR THRADING RADIO COIL CORES Filed June 26, 1950 3Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented July 12, 1932 UNiTsn STATES PATENT OFFICEFERD'llAN-'D BRSTLE, OF NUTLEY, NEW JERSEY, ASSG-NOR T0 VICTOR C.THORNE, OF NEV YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FR THREADING RADIO COIL CORES Application filed June 26,

My invention relates to an apparatus for prcviding coresor tubes to beused for radio coils with recesses, grooves or threading to receivewinding of wire. It isa particular object of my invention to provide anapparatus which is adapted to provide such cores with recesses and/or anintermediate series of depressions for setting and spacing theconvolutions of the` winding of wire to be placed ou the core. A moreparticular object of my invention is to provide means for threadingradio coil cores.

My invention contemplates the provision of an apparatus of the classdescribed which is capable of continuous operation, i. e. ofl receivingcoil cores to be threaded continuously without necessitating thestopping of the feeding mechanism and the power supplying means eachtime a core, after being threaded, is removed and a new one supplied tothe chuck. My invention further contemplates the provision of means forreversing the direction of rotation of the feed screw, by means of whichthe cutting mechanism and cutting tools may be adapted to make variousforms of grooves or threads upon the blank carried on the chuck. Myinvention still further contemplates the provision of an apparatusincluding means whereby the relative speeds of rotation of the powershaft and work supporting spindle may be varied so as to mal-ie theapparatus adaptable for the provision of a variety of kinds of threadingboth with respect to direction and size of grooving with only a slightmanually made adjustment or substitution of its elements. Furthermore,the continuity of operation of my apparatus makes it possible to providethe blankV or work piece with the desired grooving or threading at aspeed which is aboutJ sir times that of the speed possible of attainmentwith existing forms of apparatus which necessitates the stopping of theactuating mechanism with each feeding of a new blank. Thus my improvedapparatus is capable of turning out approximately 300 threaded radiocoil cores per hours as compared with the turning out'of about 50 ofsuch cores with apparatus now'used for the purpose.

1930. serial No. 463,978.

A particular embodiment of my invention l Fig. 2 is a horizontalsectional plan along line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section a long line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a right-hand end view of the apparatus.

Fig. 5 is a section along line 5-5 of Fig. l.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate a type of cutting tool used with the apparatus.

Fig. 8 .shows the mandrel supporting the work piece.

Fig. 9 is a side view thereof.

10 shows the completed core provided with the threadingwhich myapparatus is designed to impart thereto.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, in which similar referencecharacters identify similar parts in the several vi ews, 11 is the framesupporting the apparatus having projecting therefrom pillar blocks 12,13, and 14. Journalled in the pillar blocks 12 and 13 is a shaft 15having mounted thereon a hollow threaded cylindrical feed screw 16rigidly secured thereto by pin 17. The shaft 15 is provided at one endwith gear 18 driven by means of a gear train to be more fully describedhereinafter, by motor 19 supported on a bracket 20 secured to the frame11. Above the shaft 15 and disposed parallel thereto and in line withthe shaft of the motor is hollow sleeve 21 journalled in the pilla-rblocks 12 and 13 and having at one end thereof chuck 22 upon which ismounted mandrel 23 for supporting the work piece in position in thecourse of threading the same. This hollow sleeve and chuck arecontinuously driven by 'motor 19 and have disposed within them a spindle24 likewise rotated continuously, being connected to the hollow sleeveby slot 25 and pin 26. Upon the end of the spindle 24 is mounted a wedgeelement 27 secured to the threaded end Q8 of the spindle 24 by nut 29.The mandrel 23 as shown in Figs. 8 and 9 comprises ahead 30 having leafsections 31 extending therefrom. Slots 32 and 33 are provided withinsaid leaf sections, the formerof said slots extending from the ich baseof said head to a point near the other end of the mandrel, and thelatter extending from the end opposite said head to a point adjacent thehead, so as to give the mandrel a resilient structure, the resiliencythereof being determined by the capacity of the leaf portions thereof tospread apart and to contract. The wedge element 27 placed at the end ofthe spindie 24 is designed, when inserted within the end of the mandrel,to spread the leafportions thereof to a postion in which they willassume their maximum degree of expansibility. The wedge element 27 iscontrolled in its movement into the inner portion of the mandrel bycompression spring 34 surrounding the hollow sleeve 21 which in theoperable position of the apparatus provides the tension upon the spindle24 necessary to draw the wedge element into the mandrel to spread thesame apart so as to grip the core or tubing placed thereon on its innersurface. The apparatus for withdrawing the wedge element 27 from withinthe mandrel 23 comprises the collar 35 journailed on the hollow sleeve21, said collar being engaged by the forked element 36, and the bellcrank lever 37, pivoted at 38, and connected by chain 39 to the footpedal 40 located at a convenient point kon the floor.

In engagement with the feed screw 16 is the threading 42 of a half nut41 forming a part of the arm 41 secured at the end of a slidable androckable shaft 43 disposed immediately above and parallel to the feedscrew 16. This shaft 43 is ournalled in the pillar blocks 13 and 14. Arocker arm 44 is adjustably secured to the shaft 43 and provides meansfor controlling the cutting tools. This rocker arm is provided at oneend with a handle 45 whereby a swinging motion of said arm is obtainedabout the pivot formed. by shaft 43. lVhen the handle 45 is movedupwardly or downwardly the arm 44 rocks the shaft 43 into or out ofengagement with the feed screw 16. Adjacent the rocker arm 44 anddisposed oppositely of the shaft 43 and journalled thereon, are bracketarms 46, 47 upon which are mounted supports 48, 49 for the tools 50, 51respectively. On the ends of the rocker arm 44 are provided adjustablecontact elements 52, 53 resting as shown in Fig. 1 on the top surface ofone ofthe pairs of cams 54 mounted on bars 55, 55 supported on extensionarms of the frame 11. The elements of cams 54, 54 are adjustablelengthwise upon the bars 55, 55 by means of slots 56, 56 and bolts 57,57 passing therethrough. The degree of separation of the two element-sof cams 54, 54 determines the length of thread to be formed on the blank58 mounted on mandrel 23.

The machine operates under the supervision of an operator who controlsand directs the cutting action of the tools 50 and 51 which are broughtinto operative engagement with the work piece when the handle 45 isdeblank while when the handle 45 is raised,

such tool will be disengaged from the surface of the blank and uponfurther raising of the handle the tool 51 may be brought into cuttingengagement with the blank for the purpose of cutting a circumferential.recess in 1 the work piece. The manipulation of the handle 45 thusdetermines which of the two cutting tools is brought into engagementwith the blank and the degree of such engagement,

thereby varying the depth to which recesses l or threads are euttherein. Then the under side of the handle 45 is over the surface of thecam 54 and such handle is depressed it will rock the threading toolagainst the work piece and as the slidable and rockable shaft' 43 ismoved along above the cam surface the contact element 52 will ride overthe surface of the cam 54, the configuration of such cam ysurfacedetermining the character of the threads cutinto the blank by the toolin engagement therewith. When the necessary length of thread has beenformed the contact element 52 will ride up on the caniway and the toolwill be thrown out of engage ment with the blank.

Various means for the adjustment of parts of the cutting tool mechanismand support therefor are shown in detail in Fig. 4. For instance, thebracket arms 46, 47 may be adj usted to any position about the rockerarm by means of the arcuate slots 59, 60 provided with lock bolts 61, 62respectively. ri`he contact elements 52, 53 may likewise be adjusted byreleasing lock nuts 63, 64 provided on the threaded stems 65, 66respectively, of such contact elements and turning said stems. Thecutting tools 50 and 51 may be adjusted to any desired position withrespect to the work piece which they are to engage by means of studs 67and 68.

The various means of adjustment described immediately hereinabove permitof the tools being at all times of their condition operative upon thework piece to be disposed radially with respect thereto, i. e. along aradius of the core being threaded, so as to assume the best cuttingposition.

Turning now to a description of the gear train illustrated in detail inFig. 3, such gear train is designed to adapt the apparatus for operationin the direction reverse to that hereinabove described, i. e. instead ofthe shaft 43 (Fig. 1) being adapted to move from the right-hand. end ofthe threaded portion of the feed screw 16 to the left-hand portionthereof, to have such shaft come into engagement with the threadedportion of feed screw 16 at the extreme left-.hand end of such threadedportion and to be carried in the course of the threading of the workpiece to 'W the right. This is accomplished by reversing the directionof rotation of the shaft 15, driven by gear 18 (Fig. 3) in the directionindicated by the arrow when the apparatus operatesin the mannerillustrated by the drawings, i. e. the feed arm 45 being movet from theri ght-hand end to the left-hand end of the feed screw 16. In order toreverse the direction of rotation of the gear 18 and therefore of theshaft 15 an extra gear 69 is provided in the gear train which may bebrought into engagement with the gear 70, directly7 coupled to the shaft71 of the motor 19, by removing the pin 72 from its position asindicated in Fig. 3, raising thel arm of the bell-crank lever 73 pivotedat 74 until the aperture in said arm through which the pin 72 is passedengages the aperture 75, and passing the pin 72 therethrough t0 lock thebell-crank lever 73 into a position in which the gear 69 is inengagement with the gear 70 and in which position the gear 76 isdisengaged from gear 70. By this operation an eXtra gear 69 has beenplaced into the gear train which will have the effect of reversing thedirection of rotation of the gear 18 desired, the power from the motor19 being then transmitted through the gears 70, 69, 7 6, 77, 78, 79, 80,to the gear 18. Y When the gears are in the position illustrated in Fig.3, the gear 69 runs idle.

In order to adapt my apparatus to different speeds of rotation of thefeed screw 16, and therefore to different rat-es of movement of theshaft 43 and resultant varying speed of operation upon the core 58,which is rotated at constant speed on the chuck 22, I provide theslotted arm 81 secured in the split housing 82 of the pillar block 12 bymeans of the clamping bolt 83. When it is desired to change the speed ofrotation of the feed screw 16, this can be accomplished by loosening thebolt 83, so that the arm 81 may be lowered and the gears 79 and 80removed to permit gears of different ratio to be substituted therefor.Thus, without changing the speed of the motor, it is lpossible to varythe speed of the rotating parts of my apparatus, adapting it for variousspeeds of threading of the work piece. The speed at which such workpiece should be ythreaded depends upon its composition, the degree ofhardness of the material and the accuracy of the threading desired. Bymeans of the gear train hereinabove described, I am thus en-- abled tovary the speed ratio between the feed lscrew 16 and the chuck24.supporting the work piece.

The operation of the apparatus is as fol.- lows, a description of theoperation being given for imparting a left-handed thread to the workpiece:

The operator depresses the foot pedal 4() and places the core or tubeupon the mandrel 23 after which he releases the foot pedal to cause thespindle 24 to be moved to the left (Fig. 2) by the compression spring34, thereby permitting the wedge element 27 to enter the interior of themandrel, and 'abut against the outer surface of the chuck, causing theleaf portions of the mandrel to expand against the interior surface ofthe core and to lock the same securely thereon. The operator thendepresses the handle 45, at the same time bringing the contact element53 over the cam portion 54, and then moves the same longitudinally untilthe element 53 rides down over the depressed cam surface, thus bringingthe threads 42 into engagement with the feed screw 16. The rotation ofthe shaft 15 will then cause the slidable and rockable shaft 43 to moveto the left, the contact element 53 riding along the surface of the cam54. When such contact element reaches the depressed portion of the cam54, the cutting tool 50 will be brought into engagement with the surfaceof the work piece and as the contact element rides over the surface ofthe bar 55, said tool will thread the core. When the contact element 53starts to ride up onto the raised portion of the cam 54, i. e. when theentire surface of the core to which threading is to be imparted has beenso threaded, the cutting tool 50 is brought out of engagement from thework piece and the threading 41 out of engagement with the feed screw 16by lifting the handle 45. The operator then removes the threaded core byonce more depressing the foot pedal 40 which will'cause the wedgeelement 27 to be withdrawn from the interior of the mandrel 23 and allowthe leaf portions thereof to collapse and the core to be removed fromthe mandrel and a new work piece substituted therefor, after which theoperation on such new work piece is repeated as hereinabove described.The tools and the shaft 43 are returned to starting position by hand,the operator grasping handle 45, raising the same, and bringing the toolsupporting carriage to its starting position in whichthe nut 42 is atthe starting end of the feed screw 16.

When only a recess, in the form of a circumferential ring is to be Cutin the work piece, the operation is the same, except that the handle 45is raised to bring the tool 51 into cutting engagement with the workpiece when the particular portion thereof at which such recess is to becut has been reached, as determined on the cam surface.

The character of the threading to be formed uponthe work piece is to bedetermined by the configuration of the surface of the cam 54. Thus, ifthe threading is to be interrupted at any point along the length of thecore a raised surface (not shown) may be provided at the correspondingpoint along the bar 55, so that the contact element 53 will ride oversuch raised portion and disengage the cutting tool 50 from the workpiece.V

CTI

' If a right-.handed thread is desired to he imparted to, the work piecethe operation as hereinabove described is substantially the Same, exceptthat the direction of rotation of the shaft l5 is reversed ashereinabove indicated and the threading 40 of the half nut at theend ofthe feed Shaft 43 is brought into engagement with the feed screw l16 atthe left-hand end thereof, so that the. feed arm 43 moves from the leftto the right.

As it will be noted from Figs- 6 and 7 the cutting tool to be used withmy apparatus has a novel type of cutting point, As the Cores for radiocoils are usually made of a comparatively soft material suc-h ascompressed paper oribre or a phenolic condensation product, I have foundit necessary to provide a tool which will permit the material which isbeing cut from the work piece to be removed from the point at which itleaves the surface of the work piece so as not to interfere with theproper cutting action of the tool against the surface of the core. Ihave therefore provided my novel cutting tool with a depression orcavity which permits the ribbon of material as it is cut from the coreto be curled awa f from the surface of the core und thus be readilyremoved without interfering with the proper contact of the cutting pointOf the tool with the surface with which it is in engagement. v

While I have described a specific embodiment of my invention, it isobvious that varous modifications therein may be made in the arrangementand configuration of its parts without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

I claim: v

l. In an apparatus for threading radio coil cores, the combination of amotor, a rotatable shaft having rigidly secured thereto a threadedcylindrical feed SCrew,-a hollow shaft driven by said motor disposedparallel to said feed Screw and having mounted on one end thereof achuck and a mandrel for supporting the work piece, the axes of saidhollow shaft and said feed screw being spaced from each other, acontinuously rotating spindle within saidhollow shaft, a slidableandrockable shaft adapted to engage said feed screw and t0 be movedlongitudinally thereof when brought into engagement with the same, and atool supporting carriage mounted on said shaft and adapted to permitsaid work piece to be operatively engaged by a tool in the course ofthelongitudinal movement of said shaft when in engagement with the feedscrew.

In an apparatus for threading radio coil cores, the combination of amotor, a rotatable shaft having rigidly secured thereto a threadedcylindrical feed screw, a hollow shaft driven by said motor disposedparallel to said feed screw and having mounted on one end thereof achuck and a mandrel for supporting the work piece, a rotating SpindleWithin said hollow shaft, a wedge element secured to the end of saidspindle, a compression spring surrounding said hollow shaft, a slidableand rockable shaft adapted to engage said feed screw and to be movedlongitudinally thereof when brought into engagement with the same, and atool supporting carriage mounted on said shaft and adapted to permitsaid work piece to be operatively engaged by a. tool in the course ofthe longitudinal movement of said Shaft when in engagement with the feedscrew,

3. In an apparatus for threading radio coil cores, the combination of anaxially rotatable feed screw, a slidable and rockable shaft adapted toengage said feed screw and tO be moved longitudinally thereof, a toolsupporting carriage mounted on said shaft, a hollow shaft operativelyconnected to said feed screw and revolving at a fixed ratio to the speedof rotation of said feed screw, the axes of said hollow shaft and saidfeed screw being spaced from each other, a chuck mounted on said hollowshaft and a mandrel on said chuck for supporting the work piece adaptedto be operatively engaged by the cutting tool controlled by saidslidable and rockable shaft, said mandrel comprising a head and apluralitv of leaf portions extending therefrom provided with slotssubstantially throughout the length of said leaf portions whereby adegree of resiliency is imparted to the mandrel.

4. In an apparatus for threading radio coil cores, the combination of amotor, a rotatable shaft having rigidly secured thereto a threadedcylindrical feed screw, a hollow shaft disposed parallel to said feedscrew and having mounted on one end thereof a chuck and an expansiblemandrel for supporting the work piece, the aXes of said hollow shaft andsaid feed screw being spaced from each other, a spindle within saidhollow shaft continuously driven by said motor, a slidable and rockableshaft adapted to engage said feed screw and to be moved longitudinallythereof when brought into engagement with the same, and a toolsupporting carriage mounted on said shaft and adapted to permit saidwork piece to be operatively engaged by a tool in the course of thelongitudinal movement of said shaft when in engagement with the feedscrew.

5. vIn an apparatus for threading radio coil cores. the combination of amotor, a rotatable shaft having rigidly secured thereto a threadedcylindrical feed screw, a hollow shaft driven by said motor disposedparallel to said feed screw and having mounted on one end thereof achuck and a mandrel for supporting the work piece, a continuouslyrotating spindle within said hollow shaft a wedge element secured to theend of said spindle, a compression spring'surrounding said hollow shaftadapted to draw said wedge element into the mandrel to expand the samethereby gripping the workpiece placed thereon on its inner surface, acollar journalled on the hollow shaft and operatively connected to saidspindle, a forked element and a bell-crank lever engaging said collar,means for pivoting said lever to cause said collar and therefore saidspindle to move longitudinally of said hollow shaft, a slidable androckable shaft adapted to engage said feed screw and to bemovedlongitudinallj,1 thereof when brought into engagement with thesame, and a tool supporting carriage mounted on said shaft and adaptedto permit said workpiece to be operatively engaged by a tool in thecourse of the `longitudinal movement of said shaft when in engagementwith the feed screw.

6. In an apparatus forthreading radio coil cores, the combination of anaxially rotatable feed screw, a slidable and rockable feed shaft adaptedto engage said feed screw and to be moved longitudinally thereof, arocker arm adjustably secured to said feed shaft provided with a handlefor impart-ing a swinging motion to said shaft about the pivot formed bythe feed shaft, a plurality of tooll supports on said rocker arm, ahollow shaft operatively connected to said feed screw and revolving at afixed ratio to the speed of rotation of said feed screw, a spindlewithin said hollow shaft, and a chuck mounted on said hollow shaft forsupporting thepwork piece adapted to be operatively engaged by thecutting tool controlled by said feed shaft.

7. In an apparatus for threading radio coil cores, the combination of anaxially rotatable feed screw, a slidable and rockable feed shaft adaptedto engage said feed screw and to be moved longitudinally thereof, arocker arm adjustably secured to said feed shaft, a handle on saidrocker arm adapted to be moved upwardly or downwardly to rock said feedshaft into or out of engagement with said feed screw, a plurality oftool supports on said rocker arm, a hollow shaft operatively connectedto said feed screw and revolving at a fixed ratio to the speed ofrotation thereof, and a chuck mounted on said hollow shaft forsupporting the work piece adapted to be operatively engaged by thecutting tool controlled by said feed shaft. j

8. In an apparatus for threading radio coil cores, the combination of anaxially rotatable feed screw, a slidable and rockable feed shaft adaptedto engage said feed screw and to be moved longitudinally thereof, arocker arm adjustably secured to said feed shaft, bracket arms adjacentsaid rocker arm a plurality of tool supports on said rocker arm, ahollow shaft operatively connected to said feed screw and revolving at afixed ratio to the speed of rotation of said feed screw, and a chuckmounted on said hollow shaft for supporting the work piece adapted to beoperatively engaged by the cutting tool controlled by said feed shaft.

9. In an apparatus for threading radio coil cores, the combination of asupporting frame, a-feed screw mounted for axial rotation therein, aslidable and rockable feed straft adapted to engage said feed screw andto be moved longitudinally thereof, a rocker arm adj ustably secured tosaid feed shaft, a plurality of bracket arms adjacent said rocker armdisposed oppositely of said feed shaft and j ournalled thereon, aplurality of tool supports mounted on said bracket arms, a cam on saidframe having elements adjustable lengthwise of said frame, a pluralityof contact elements mounted on said rocker arm, a hollow shaftoperatively connected to said feed screw and revolving at a fixed ratioto the speed of rotation of said feed screw, and a chuck mounted on saidhollow shaft for supporting the Vwork piece adapted to be operativelyengaged by the cutting tool Icontrolled by said feed shaft.

l0. ln an apparatus for threading radio coil cores, the combination of asupporting frame, a feed screw mounted for axial rotation therein, aslidable and rockable feed shaft adapted to engage said feed screw andto be moved longitudinally thereof, a rocker arm adjustably secured tosaid feed shaft, a plurality of bracket arms adjacent said rocker armdisposed oppositely of said feed shaft and j ournalled thereon, aplurality of Y tool supports mounted on said bracket arms, a pluralityof pairs of cams on said frame, each pair having elements adjustablelengthwise of said frame, a plurality of contact elements mounted onsaid rocker arm, a hollow shaft operatively connected to said feed screwand revolving at a fixed ratio to the speed of rotation of said feedscrew, and a chuck mounted on said hollow shaft for supporting the workpiece adapted to be operatively engaged by the cutting tool controlledby said feed shaft.

lil. In an apparatus for threadingradio coil cores, the combination of asupporting frame, a feed screw mounted for axial rotation therein, aslidable and rockable feed shaft adapted to engage said feed screw andtobe moved longitudinally thereof, a rocker arm adjustably secured tosaid feed shaft, a plurality of bracket arms adjacent said rocker armdisposed oppositely of said feed shaft and journalled thereon, aplurality of tool supports mounted on said bracket arms, a pair of camson said frame having elements adjustable lengthwise of said frame,adjustable contact elements mounted o n said rock-

